She’s angered plenty of Australians with her outspoken attitude and controversial views in the past, but Yassmin Abdel-Magied is celebrating her voice today after winning a major free speech award.
The 27-year-old, who once described herself as Australia’s “most hated Muslim,” was announced as the winner of the Liberty Victoria Young Voltaire Award. She will be formally celebrated at a dinner in July, although she has already taken to social media to share her delight in the news.
“I won an award for Free Speech y’all,” she wrote, before dedicating the win to other young Australian Muslims.
“This one is for all those young Muslims and POC in Aus and around the world who know their equality is conditional, but know they need to speak anyway,” she said. “I got your back, y’all.
“One for all those – no matter their faith or identity – who see injustice, and are afraid of speaking but speak anyway. It is they who know their equality is incomplete when the equality of others is conditional.”
Not missing the chance to call out her haters, Abdel-Magied told her critics, “eat your hearts out,” and shared a picture of herself on a ski mountain with a massive grin on her face.
https://twitter.com/yassmin_a/status/975524839229292544
The former engineer, who rose to fame on the ABC, caused waves in Australia last year with her various comments about her Muslim faith. She’s referred to Australia as her “abusive husband” and caused outrage with comments she made about Manus Island last ANZAC Day.
At the time she posted a message to Facebook that read: “Lest We Forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine …)”. Her words were interpreted by many has a dig at Australia’s veterans and disrespectful to the sacrifices our diggers made in Gallipoli.
As a result, her ABC show Australia Wide was cancelled and Abdel-Magied vowed to move to the United Kingdom to escape the hate she received for her comments.
More recently, she slammed Peter Dutton and his proposed plans to fast-track white South African farmer visas, and questioned why white people were being prioritised over Muslims.
Liberty Victoria, the organisation presenting Abdel-Magied with the award, aims to influence public debate and government policy on a variety of human rights issues. It also works for civil liberties and the democratic participation of all and the principles of justice, openness, the right to dissent and respect for diversity.
Kath and Kim actress Magda Szubanski was named the recipient of the Voltaire Award for her work with the LGBTIQ community, while Behrouz Boochani will take home the gong for the Empty Chair Award.